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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24846679">The Meadow</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/WickedSong/pseuds/WickedSong'>WickedSong</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Mara-Lynn Collection [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Final Fantasy VIII</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Gen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 06:34:56</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>953</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24846679</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/WickedSong/pseuds/WickedSong</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A heart-to-heart between a Sorceress and her long-estranged father.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Rinoa Heartilly &amp; Ellone, Rinoa Heartilly &amp; Fury Caraway, Rinoa Heartilly/Squall Leonhart</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Mara-Lynn Collection [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1797376</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Meadow</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>-Title is a bit 'eh'. Please just go with it.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The sound of laughter rang through the meadow, as Mara stretched her legs and ran as fast as she could from one edge of the flower field to another. Angelo, though older now, was still able to keep up impressively with the youngster, eagerly accepting a belly rub for her troubles –and Mara was all too obliging.</p><p>Mara, more often than not, was quiet and stoic. So, Rinoa smiled, thinking how grateful she was that Mara had such a place to let her cares and worries go, and just be a <em>child</em>.</p><p>“She seems happy.”</p><p>Rinoa turned to her father; her occasional companion when he could join she and Mara on their journeys to the old orphanage on the Cetra continent. He was retired now, and so able to make the trip more often, but a life in the military had taken its toll.</p><p>Rinoa wondered quite how many trips would be left in him.</p><p>“I hope she is,” Rinoa mused, tilting her head. “But what do you really want to say, Dad?”</p><p>No matter how far apart they’d been in her younger years, Rinoa still had a knack of knowing when her father wanted to say something; especially something she might not necessarily like. The look on his face, right now, said it all.</p><p>“I just worry,” he said, sounding as though he was choosing his words carefully. “A military academy like Garden might not be the best place for a child such as Mara to grow up. She’s already been through so much already. There’s a lot of stability in schools in Deling, or even Timber, if you’d prefer-“</p><p>“You don’t want her to become a SeeD, like Squall,” Rinoa supplied, unable to bear her father’s ramblings.</p><p>He looked like he’d been rumbled. Years ago, it might’ve caused an argument, or rift, between them. Now, Rinoa only smiled.</p><p>“I know you haven’t always seen eye to eye with Squall,” she said, calmly. “I don’t always, either. But SeeD was chosen for Squall, before he chose it for himself. For Mara, it’ll always just be one of a million things she could do, one of a million choices she <em>might</em> make.”</p><p>When her father remained silent, Rinoa gave him a knowing smile.</p><p>“Had you ever thought of it from Squall’s side before?” she wondered. “You two are more alike than you think.”</p><p>Her father shrugged, and looked as though he didn’t want to discuss the matter further. Which suited Rinoa fine.</p><p>She made these trips to the orphanage on this all-but abandoned continent, to find some small mote of peace, when the toll and strength of her powers, threatened to overwhelm her.</p><p>She didn’t need a lecture from the man beside her, on top of that.</p><p>“Rinoa!</p><p>She turned, at the sound of her name, to find Ellone walking towards her, a soft smile on her face.</p><p>“Mister Caraway,” Ellone said, with a polite nod, when she was closer to the pair. She’d never quite known how to take Rinoa’s father, and Rinoa understood that completely.</p><p>He was a hard man to read, and an even harder man to get along with most of the time.</p><p>“Hey, Elle!”</p><p>Mara, from other direction, zoomed over to the trio. Clearly, running with Angelo did nothing to tire her, though Rinoa couldn’t say her canine companion was the same, lazily stretching herself out on the meadow.</p><p>“Elle, come play with Angelo and me!”</p><p>“Angelo looks tired, Mara,” Ellone replied. “But later. I promise.”</p><p>“What is it, Ellone?” Rinoa asked, as Mara, pouting, took up the space next to Caraway.</p><p>He was good with Mara, Rinoa thought. There was so much time that she, herself, would never get back with him, especially after her mother died, but now he was trying to make up for those mistakes that had been made. She appreciated that, even if she never said it in as many words.</p><p>Rinoa turned her attention back to her sister-in-law, who made a face as if she’d forgotten she had anything to say at all.</p><p>“Quistis just called through. Garden’s on its way. They should be back by tomorrow morning.” Ellone smiled down at Mara. “You hear that, Mara?”</p><p>That put a smile on Mara’s face, which had been sullen, before. It was her home, her first true home – and it would always be her home, if Squall and Rinoa had anything to say about it -  since the White SeeD ship had been disbanded. Some of the children, orphans from before and after the Second Sorceress War, had been adopted.</p><p>The others had been given a choice between the Centran Orphanage, or one of the Gardens. Mara was one of the latter; it was how Rinoa and Squall had ended up officially adopting her as their own.</p><p>“And Matron says dinner’s almost ready,” Ellone added. She reached out a hand to Mara. “She wants you to help set the table.”</p><p>“Do I have to?” Mara whined, in a familiar tone.</p><p>Rinoa cleared her throat, and sent a warning look her way. Ellone laughed.</p><p>But Rinoa was surprised when it was her father who spoke, softly.</p><p>“Listen to your mother, and Ellone,” he said.</p><p>It was enough for Mara. She stood, and held Ellone’s hand – she’d been fond of Ellone from her time on the White SeeD ship. The pair walked side-by-side to the old stone house that had been rebuilt and turned back into a working orphanage, first by Edea and Cid, after the battle with Ultimecia was over.</p><p>Since Cid’s passing, Ellone lived and worked here, helping Edea in caring for the children.</p><p>“Come on,” Rinoa said, standing up and extending a helping hand to her ageing father, “you always enjoy Edea’s cooking.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>-The basis for this section was really based in Rinoa emphasising that SeeD wasn't always a choice for Squall, but always would be for Mara. I've had that line, this section, saved in drafts for a year or so, and so I'm glad I finally get to post it.</p><p>-Yes, Mara is adopted. In a later part, I might get more into that, but I think it makes perfect sense for Squall and Rinoa to adopt a child given the canon.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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